Bedside Cots

Hello everyone! First post on these forums although I've been lurking for a while now. Seems like some good advice to be found here so I'm hoping someone can help with my co-sleeping questions.

My son is four months old we've been bed-sharing since day one. Funnily enough I had never considered it before his arrival, but DS made his preference very clear from the first night! I was wary of the arrangement initially, but after doing some research I realised that my misgivings were based on what is the 'social norm' in Western culture, rather than bed-sharing being unsafe (if undertaken with proper precautions). So, after a few unsuccessful nights of trying to encourage my son into his own bed, I eventually came to the conclusion that he knew best! It certainly makes night nursing much easier and generally, I feel more rested when I get up in the morning.

That said, one thing I'd like to be able to do (but rarely manage) is to be able to "roll away" once he is asleep without waking him. DS is very sensitive to my movement - even a stretch of my leg can rouse him - and I think we would both get a better night's sleep if we disturbed each other less.

I suspect that if DS was on his own mattress it would be easier for me to move away after nursing him to sleep. We don't really have the floor space to push two mattresses together, so the other option seems to be a bedside cot. I was wondering if anyone reading this post had any experience with one and could recommend something and advise on whether one actually would make inching away easier or not. Ideally I'd be looking for a cot large enough that could potentially last until he is 2 or 3, or perhaps even older.

Thanks for reading! I rambled a bit as it's my first post, but I promise any future ones I make will get to the point a lot quicker!

i'm not exactly sure i'm understanding your space arrangements, but if you bought a twin-sized mattress and put it next to yours, i can't imagine it would take up any more room than a co-sleeping bassinet or cot, at least not width-wise.

Last edited by melissa_h; 03-06-2009, 06:39 PM.
Reason: Edited to remove trademarked term

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We also have very little space but have arranged to have a single bed next to our queen. That helps with the own space issue. Do you just not have the inches or are looking to keep the interior decorating?
We had to cover a window and a door to a rarely used porch for our bed arrangement currently. Look for a creative solution!

For a while with my first son we tried to have him sleep in a toddler bed (on a toddler frame---the same mattress used in cribs) The few times I had to nurse him to sleep in it were horrible --My legs got all cramped up and sore....so after that I vowed to only put him to sleep where I could lay too!

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I have no idea about the cot thing, but I will tell you that he will most likely calm down in time. I have 3, and have co-slept with all. Initially, they want to snuggle up next to me. With my DS, I couldn't even take a deep breath without rousing him!! But, in due time, they all were fine sleeping away from me. My DD is now 15 months old. I nurse her to sleep, then walk away. Sometimes she opens her eyes to see me, but then closes them again and goes back to sleep!

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Yes namoifrederickap - comfort is definitely my first priority. The 3-sided cot pushed up against a main bed *looks* like it would be practical / comfortable, though it must limit you to only being able to nurse from one side, unless you take baby out of it and back into bed (which would defeat the purpose of the bedside cot).

In order to push another mattress up to our main bed, we'd need to take our mattress out of the bed frame it's in at the moment and put it elsewhere. We've not really anywhere to store the frame (no garage and very small attic) and not enough floor space for a frame and two mattresses.

To be honest, even if we could find the space (and with enough rearranging, it probably *is* possible), I don't think DH would go for it. He's generally a tidier person / more organised than I am and I think it would get him down after a while. Ideally I'd like to respect his preference for not disrupting our bedroom too much. The rest of the house is a tip and it's the only sanctuary he's got left!

Actually, sometimes I lay in the extra bed alone or sometimes my husband alone or sometimes I nurse the baby down in 'his' part of the bed and then move over next to my husband. We call it musical beds (and sometimes even go and sleep in my 4yr olds bed if he comes over to ours!)

I do think that if you keep your bed in a traditional fashion that it will not work as you imagine it (rolling away to leave your baby on his own surface with you having the entire space for you and your husband)
Possibly a futon on the floor next to your bed...When he wakes you can lay down next to him to nurse to sleep, then get back up in the bed?
During the day you can push it under for that "normal" bedroom look.